Daily News New York, New York Tuesday, July 18, 1972 - Page 4
Boris Sees Bobby's Move and Gives Up by Robert Byrne
Reykjavik, Iceland, July 17—Boris Spassky resigned game three of the world chess championship match to Bobby Fischer tonight without further play. The Russian world champion's lead was reduced to 2-1.
Spassky's appearance for the second session of game three was a mere formality. After Chief Referee Lothar Schmid opened the envelope containing black's 41st move, read Fischer's boldly written notation, and played it on the chessboard, it took Spassky only a glance to decide that further resistance would be silly. He stopped his clock, and motioned to Schmid that he was giving up.
Minutes later, after Spassky had left the stage of the exhibition hall, Fischer came in, noticed that the champion's clock was not running, and asked: “What's the matter, he resign?” When Schmid informed him that this was indeed the case, Fischer signed the score sheet and left to the applause of the fans.
Yesterday's session was held in a private room at Fischer's request ([or, as some sources claim, at the insistence of organizers, who broke rules and were catering to the wily whims of the Soviet Federation and Chester Fox, Inc., of whom the rules state emphatically, if Fischer demanded the cameras and crews of disruptive men operating the cameras, removed, it should be made so. However, Fischer was forced instead, to play out game three in a dreary back room of the auditorium]), but he had changed his mind and consented to play tonight's adjournment before the fans on the stage. Fischer's victory was his first ever against Spassky, who had beaten him four times over the board, including the opener of this match ([much due to Soviet and Icelandic insistence the disruptive camera men be given top priority, to blow Fischer's concentration]). Game two, awarded to Spassky when Fischer failed to show up in protest against ([disruptive men, operators of]) television cameras, ([and that the so-called “committee” was made up of 3 pro-Soviet vs. 1 pro-Fischer advocate, unfairly deciding the 2nd game in favor of Soviets, when, after all, a valid petition was presented before the deadline, constituting a “hearing” that was neither fair, nor impartial]) makes five Spassky victories in all.
In the first session last night, Fischer fans saw him in scintillating form. Sharp, original opening play, featuring the radical knight play in Move 11, N-R4, enabled him to take the initiative away from Spassky, who was on the defensive the whole game. A feint for king's side attack at moves 14 and 15 forced the repair of his doubled pawns.
Then he regrouped for a queen's side pawn storm by Moves 19 to 21, which resulted in his obtaining a strong passed queen's bishop pawn.
The final attack was directed against the artificially isolated king's pawn which could not be supported by the white's bishop's pawn. After Fischer won by going for the white king, whose last defense was stripped by Bobby's lethal 41st move in the sealed envelope.
Game four is scheduled for tomorrow at 5 p.m.—1 p.m. New York time.
Boris Sees Bobby's Move and Gives Up 18 Jul 1972, Tue Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com
